Lampkin was dominant in his NFL debut, showing that he can make it as a pro despite being 5-10 and 270 pounds
NFL offensive linemen don’t look like Willie Lampkin. While there’s no record of the smallest lineman in league history, Lampkin might take that title if he makes the Los Angeles Rams’ 53-man roster.
At the Senior Bowl, he measured in at 5-foot-10 3/8 and 270 pounds. No other lineman at the Senior Bowl was shorter than 6-foot-3 or lighter than 307 pounds. He wasn’t invited to the NFL combine, but he would’ve been the shortest lineman there by 5 inches and the lightest by 29 pounds.
Players with his frame are rare in college and they’re almost non-existent in the NFL, but he’s out to prove size doesn’t matter.
It took him just one preseason game to make a name for himself as a potential undrafted gem for the Rams. He was dominant against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, earning a PFF grade of 94.1. That was the second-highest among all NFL linemen who played at least 20 snaps in Week 1 of the preseason. His run-blocking grade was outstanding, coming in at 92.2 – fourth-highest among all linemen.
Lampkin didn’t get many opportunities in pass protection, only seeing nine snaps on passing plays, but he didn’t allow a single pressure and earned a respectable 78.6 grade.
His film was excellent, too. While he’s obviously on the smaller side, it doesn’t show when he’s blocking bigger defensive linemen. He’s powerful enough to move them aside and create running lanes, while also having a strong enough base to not get walked back in pass protection.
Just look at the work he did as a run blocker on these plays shared by Brandon Thorn, an offensive line expert. Lampkin put Cowboys defenders on their backs, opening up big holes for his running backs.
There weren’t any real concerns about Lampkins ability to sustain blocks and protect the quarterback in college. In five years at the FBS level, he allowed just three total sacks, none in his last two years when he was at North Carolina.
If he were 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds, he’d likely have been a first- or second-round pick. But at 5-11 and 270 pounds, teams were scared off. Size is what caused him to fall all the way out of the draft and go undrafted, which allowed the Rams to sign him to a rookie deal.
Sean McVay loved what he saw from the first-year center in his preseason debut, noting his natural leverage as a smaller center.
“I thought he did a nice job,” McVay said. “Obviously, he has great leverage, can get underneath people and be able to finish. That was what you loved about him at North Carolina. but just a competitor. He’s tough, he’s physical. He understands how to be able to play to his strengths and I think he’s done a really good job and I thought a lot of those guys did a nice job, but I was pleased with Willie.”
Lampkin passed the test at the Senior Bowl where he was one of the best linemen in Mobile. He seemed to perform well in training camp, and in his preseason debut, he passed another test against NFL competition.
Now, the question is whether he’ll earn a spot on the Rams’ 53-man roster. Beaux Limmer is a lock to make the team as a backup center and guard, and Justin Dedich seems to be trending that way, too. But there’s room for Lampkin.
And even if the Rams don’t feel that way right now, they need to make room for him. Russell Wilson silenced doubters who called him too small to play quarterback in the NFL, and Lampkin could do the same as an undersized center.
He has the power and anchor to win against NFL-size defensive linemen, even if it was only against backups in the preseason opener. Hopefully he’ll get a chance to block some starters against the Chargers and Browns in the coming weeks, which will be the final test on his way to a roster spot.
Check that box and he’ll likely have a future in the NFL.
